Assam records 84.42%, Puducherry crosses 86% turnout as polling ends

An estimated 84.42 per cent voter turnout was recorded as polling ended at 5 pm on Thursday across all 126 Assembly constituencies in Assam, surpassing the 82.04 per cent recorded in the 2021 elections, officials said. The BJP-led NDA is seeking a third consecutive term in power in the state, while the Congress is striving to reclaim Assam after losing it a decade ago.

Dalgaon recorded the highest turnout at 94.57 per cent, while Amri saw the lowest at 70.40 per cent, they said. A total of 722 candidates are in the fray in the single-phase election, which is largely witnessing a direct contest between the BJP-led ruling coalition and the opposition bloc led by the Congress. Votes were cast at 31,490 polling stations across 35 districts, with polling commencing at 7 am and continuing till 5 pm, officials added.

In Puducherry, voting for the 30 Assembly constituencies concluded at 6 pm on Thursday, while people who arrived before the deadline were allowed to wait in queues and cast their votes, officials said. According to initial estimates, the polling percentage has crossed 86 per cent, they said. As the NDA is fighting to retain power, the opposition Congress-led bloc is pushing to wrest power from the AINRC-led front in the union territory, centring its campaign on local autonomy and administrative friction.
(With PTI inputs)